Automatic vacuum slot sealer



May 21, 1957 w. P. ROSE ET AL 2,792,587

AUTOMATIC VACUUM SLOT SEALER Filed June 11, 1955 INVENTOR WEE/V22? F 5055 a zoflzzr-i AZ/X ZV BYX-IX-JMMW ATTORNEY 'Werner 1. Rose, Oakland attachment for a suction pipe of a 'which is automatically controlled. by cloth as it is moved overthe suction pipe.

Unite States Patent "i 2,792,587 AUTOMATIC VACUUM SLOT SEALER and Robert E. Kuhn,-Saddle --River, N. L, assignors toSomatex, Inc., Passaic, N. J.

- Application'June 11, 1953, Serial No. 361,034

2 Claims. (Cl. 15- 307) sealer for cloth-treating machines.

invention to provide an cloth'treating machine the side edge of the It is an object of the present It is another'object of the invention toprovide an automatic vacuum sealer'for suction-pipes ofclothtreating machineswhich can be easily adjusted and adapted for operationand use upon the suction pipe and wherein at all times-the open slots not traversed by the cloth will be automatically kept closed.

- Other-objects of the invention are to provide an -autov matic sealer for cloth treating machines which isof "simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install upon the suction pipe, easy to adjust, compact, selfsupporting, has a minimum number of parts and efiective and eflicient in use.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view on one end of a cloth treating machine having the automatic vacuum sealers attached to the suction pipe of the machine adjacent the opposite side edges of the cloth;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the suction pipe and with the attachment of the present invention shown on an enlarged scale and in perspective;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the suction pipe showing the suction slots therein and a fragment of the sealing member that is extended thereover;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1, represents a cloth treating machine having a frame 11 with upright leg portions 12 serving as supports and from which there extends brackets 13 and 14 for supporting a roll of cloth 15 for rotation and so that cloth can be delivered over a guide roll 16 and a suction pipe 17 to large treating rolls 18 and 19.

The suction pipe 17 has a plurality of staggered parallel slots 21) extending throughout its length and on the top surface thereof and over which the cloth 15 is passed. This pipe is connected to a vacuum pump by a pipe 21 so that constant suction force is efiected through the slots in such a manner as to extract any water or liquid from the cloth prior to being passed to the treating rolls 18 and 19.

In order to eifectively and efiiciently remove the liquid from the cloth and to be assured of proper suction action at all times, it is necessary that the ends of the suction pipe be kept closed ed up to the edges 15' of the cloth. The cloth edges vary in their position on the pipe 17 as they travel thereover and the width of the cloth varies. In order to have an automatic closing of the slots 20 for any varying of the position of the edges 15' "'wardly projected ends ice of the 'clothpassing over the suction pipe, there has been provided a present automatic sealer which is mounted on the suction pipe 17 at the end thereof and which is generally indicated at 22. There is one of these devices, as shown in Fig. 1, disposed at each end of the suction pipe. This sealer is so constructed that it will automatically seal ofi the slots in a manner to be hereinafter described.

Each automatic sealer comprises separable upper and lower clamp members 23 and 24 having respectively out- 25 and 26 which are secured together by bolt means 27. These projectionsextend from the opposite sides of the clamp members so that the members can be secured to the suction pipe without dismounting the pipe from the machine.

Extending upwardly from theclamp part 23 is an upstanding projection 28 into which there is secured an adjusting screw 29. This screw can be adjusted todifferent longitudinal positions and is fixed to the projection 28 by locking nuts 30 and 31. On the forward end of the adjustable screw 29 is an enlarged portion 32 having a square opening 33 into which a square pedestal or fulcrum support 34 is fitted. This pedestal 34 can be adjusted to different elevations and is held in its adjusted position by a set screw 35 in the enlarged portion 32.

4 On the lower end of the shaft 34 is a base 36 to which a thin strip of spring steel 37 and a rubber layer 38 is -fiXed by rivets 39. This strip 37 extends over theslots 2061: the pipe and the rubber sealing layer 38 is secured throughout the length thereof and on the bottom face by spaced rivets 40. This spring steel strip 37 is thin and flimsy and is such that it can be easily and readily bent and yet light enough in weight so as to be easily drawn against the slots 20 by the suction force within the pipe 17. The upper end of the pedestal 34 is bifurcated as indicated at 42 and in this upper end there is pivoted an enlarged portion 43 of a rod 44 having a plurality of adjusting holes 45. A pivot pin 46 is removable and the rod 44 can be moved to different positions along the bifurcated upper end of the pedestal 34 and the pin 46 inserted in the different adjusting holes 45.

The forward end of the rod 44 is enlarged as indicated at 48 and a short link 49 is connected by its bifurcated end 50 and a pin 51 to this enlarged end 48. The other end of the rod 48 is bifurcated at 52 and it is in turn connected by a pin 53 with an upstanding bracket 54 on the outer end of the strip 37.

As the edge 15' of the cloth 15 arrives at different positions along the suction pipe 17, more or less of the slots 20 will be covered. The free end of the strip 37 that overlies the edge of the cloth 15 will be elevated as there is no suction force causing the same to be drawn through the cloth and against the suction pipe. There will always be a decided bend in the strip at the edge of the cloth as indicated at 55. The balance of the strip 37 not lying over the cloth is drawn tightly against the suction pipe. The bent strip with the rubber sealing layer thereon will accordingly change its shape depending upon the location of the edge 15'.

In order to make this sealing strip responsive to follow the edge of the cloth and to give a feathering action thereto, a counterweight 56 is secured to the rear end of the rod 44 by a set screw 57 at the desired location thereon and so that the outer end of the strip 37 can be lifted readily as the suction slots are covered and yet not suflicient to detract from the suction force. The location of the counterweight 56 can be tested by trial and error until the desired touch or feeling of the strip upon the suction pipe pipe is obtained.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided an automatic sealing device for use with suction pipes of 3 cloth treating machines which operates in response to the connection with a longitudinally-slotted vacuum pipe of location of the edge traversing the top surface of the suca cloth treating machine over which cloth is passed to tion pipe and over the slots thereof. have its moisture extracted therefrom, said vacuum sealer While various changes may be made in the detail concomprising vertical support means adapted to be secured struction, it shall be understood that such changes shall to the vacuum pipe and to extend upwardly therefrom, a be Within the spirit and scope of the present invention as flexible sealing strip adapted to overlie the slotted vacuum defined by the appended claims. pipe and anchored at one end to the vertical support, a

What is claimed is: lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon theupper end 1. An automatic vacuum sealer adapted to be used in of the vertical support and overlying the flexible sealing connection with a longitudinally-slotted vacuum pipe 10 strip, a counterbalance weight connected to one end of of a cloth treating machine over which cloth is passed said lever, means for pivotally connecting the other end of to have its moisture extracted therefrom, said vacuum said lever to the unanchored end of said flexible sealing sealer comprising vertical support means adapted to be strip, said vertical support means including means for resecured to the vacuum pipe and to extend upwardly leasably attaching the support means to the vacuum pipe,

therefrom, a flexible sealing strip adapted to overlie the 15 said releasable means having an upwardly-extending slotted vacuum pipe and anchored at' one end .to the projection thereon, a member adjustably mounted on vertical support, a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends said upwardly extending projection and adapted to overupon the upper end of the vertical support and overlying lie the vacuum pipe, means for securing said longituthe flexible sealing strip, a counterbalance weight condinally-adjustable member in its longitudinally-adjusted nected to one end of .said lever, a depending link piv- 20 position, a pedestal member vertically-adjustable upon otally connected to the other end of said lever and pivsaid longitudinally-adjustable member, said flexible sealotally connected to the anchored end of said flexible ing strip being anchored to the lower end of said pedestal sealing strip, and means in the form of a plurality of member, whereby said sealing strip, lever and pedestal holes in said lever and a pin carried by said vertical member may be adjusted longitudinally of the vacuum support means for longitudinally adjusting th f l r 26 pipe independently of the releasable attaching means. point of said lever upon said vertical support means,

whereby said flexible sealing strip may be raised from its References Cited in the file this Patent unanchored end upwardly and away from the slotted UNITED STATES PATENTS vacuum pipe so that the vacuum is prevented from acting upon said flexible strip inwardly of the edge of the cloth 1 "E25 3 passing over the slotted vacuum pipe. 2338167 Dodge a] z 1944 2. An automatic vacuum sealer adapted to be used in 

